Spiegel: CIA warned Germany about the possibility of attacks on gas pipelines Back in the summer, the German government received a warning from the CIA that both Nord Streams could become targets of attacks, writes Spiegel. The damage to gas pipelines became known on Tuesday night, experts consider this a sabotage “(max-width: 320px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2), (max-width: 320px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)” >
Prime Minister of Saxony: Germany should again receive gas from Russia after the end of the military operation Germany should take all measures to cope with the shortage of fuel and achieve lower prices for it, says Prime Minister of Saxony Kretschmer. Among them, he named supplies from Qatar, as well as the restoration of imports from Russia “(max-width: 320px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2), (max-width: 320px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)” >
Zelensky: Germany has psychological barriers in the supply of weapons due to the Nazi past President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that the supply of weapons would have been reduced if Kyiv had not launched a counteroffensive
Vladimir Zelensky
Germany has “certain psychological barriers” on the issue of the supply of military equipment due to its Nazi past, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Reuters.
Such supplies are vital for Ukraine, he said.
“We would like more help from Turkey, we would like more help from South Korea. More help from the Arab world. From Asia»,— Zelensky added.
He also expressed the opinion that the supply of weapons to Ukraine would have been reduced if Kyiv had not launched a counteroffensive. “I think this is a very important step that has influenced or will influence the decisions of some other countries,” — said the Ukrainian president.
The beginning of the Ukrainian counteroffensive at the end of August was reported by Reuters with reference to the country's Southern Military Command. The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed the offensive attempts by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but called them “unsuccessful”.
In Ukraine, Germany has repeatedly been criticized for the slow and insufficient provision of military assistance. In May, the Welt newspaper wrote that Germany had reduced arms supplies to a minimum. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz claimed that this information is not true. The Armed Forces of Ukraine, according to him, received such weapons from Berlin that are not yet in service with the Bundeswehr (German armed forces).
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In early September, Welt, citing sources in the Ukrainian government, wrote that Scholz had not agreed to send the latest German Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv.
Berlin is postponing the delivery of tanks as it fears Ukraine could become “overconfident” and invade Russia and “German tanks will be back on Russian soil,” Spiegel wrote in June, citing sources close to the German government.
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Moscow stated that the supply of Western weapons will not prevent it from achieving the goals of the special operation. President Vladimir Putin, speaking about American weapons that arrived in Ukraine, said that domestic forces “click [them] like nuts.”
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Russian Ambassador Nechaev accused Germany of crossing the red line due to the supply of weapons to Kyiv Berlin, pumping Ukraine with weapons “at the request of the Anglo-Saxon NATO allies”, chose “the path to nowhere”, which only prolongs the conflict, Sergey Nechaev is convinced
< img class="aligncenter" src="https://s0.rbk.ru/v6_top_pics/media/img/3/18/756629589806183.jpg" alt="The ambassador accused the FRG of crossing the red line because of arms supplies to Kyiv" />
Germany crossed a red line when it began supplying its lethal weapons to Ukraine. About this in an interview with Izvestia said Russian Ambassador to Germany Sergei Nechaev.
“The very fact of supplying the Ukrainian regime with German-made lethal weapons, used not only against Russian military personnel, but also against the civilian population of Donbass,— this is a red line that the German authorities should not have crossed, — considers the diplomat.
He recalled the moral and historical responsibility of Germany for the crimes of the Nazis during the Great Patriotic War.
Berlin, pumping Kyiv with weapons “at the request of the Anglo-Saxon NATO allies,” chose “the road to nowhere, only prolonging the conflict and increasing casualties,” Nechaev is convinced. “In Germany, many are aware of this,” & mdash; he added.
At first, Germany did not want to supply heavy weapons to Ukraine. Later, however, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Berlin had to change its mind because of Russia's actions. According to him, the Ukrainian military received such weapons from Germany that are not yet in service with the Bundeswehr. Berlin gave Kyiv “everything that was”: anti-aircraft and anti-tank systems, “tons of ammunition”, MLRS, self-propelled howitzers, counter-battery radars, the chancellor said.
The German side has repeatedly said that it has almost exhausted the stocks of the Bundeswehr. In particular, this was acknowledged by German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock. At the same time, Berlin intends to continue to provide military assistance to Kyiv through the supply of weapons, Burbock assured.
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Requests from Ukraine to transfer modern German-made Leopard 2A7 tanks to it were left unanswered by the German authorities. =”(max-width: 320px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2), (max-width: 320px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)” >
Leopard 2 tank
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has not agreed to supply Ukraine with the latest Leopard 2 tanks, Die Welt writes, citing sources in the Ukrainian government. Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmygal asked for additional support during his visit to Berlin.
The machine-building concern Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH (KMW) took the initiative to make the delivery. The manufacturer offered to supply Ukraine with 100 Leopard 2A7 tanks, including spare parts and training modules for a total of €1.55 billion. However, it was only about deliveries as they were manufactured, and therefore the first vehicles had to be ready for transfer only after 36 months after the signing of the contract, and it was planned to transfer the entire batch within 65 months. The chancellor did not commit himself to deliveries, and Die Welt characterizes Scholz's conversation with Shmyhal about supporting Ukraine as vague and vague.
Now, in addition to the direct transfer of military equipment and equipment, Germany is supporting Kyiv with the help of exchange schemes for Soviet equipment supplied to Ukraine from Eastern European countries for modern German equipment for these states. According to this scheme, Soviet T-72 tanks go to Ukraine from Poland. Warsaw has already transferred more than 200 such vehicles to Kyiv in exchange for guarantees from the FRG to supply new military equipment. However, as Spiegel wrote, the exchange negotiations dragged on: the parties did not agree on the number of new tanks supplied to Poland. “Most of our tank arsenal in the Polish armed forces consists of German Leopard tanks. Therefore, if Germany supported us, if we received a replacement in the form of a circular exchange, we would be very happy, — said Polish President Andrzej Duda and complained that “they [the Germans] did not fulfill this promise.”
In late April, the lower house of the German parliament supported a document calling on the government to supply heavy weapons to Ukraine. Scholz replied that Germany would not supply Western-made battle tanks to Kyiv until the United States and other allies did so.
In the summer, the FRG began deliveries of heavy weapons to Ukraine, for example, the PzH 2000 self-propelled guns and Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, but modern Western-made tanks have not yet entered service with Ukraine.
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Germany filled gas storage facilities by 85%, despite the shutdown of Nord Stream Thus, in early September, Berlin reached the goal of reaching 85% of gas storage capacity by October. Previously, the German Minister of Economics assumed that the goal could be achieved ahead of schedule max-width: 320px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2), (max-width: 320px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)” >
Germany reached its October target of 85% filling of gas storage facilities, despite the shutdown of Russia's Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline. This is evidenced by the data of the association of European gas infrastructure operators GIE for September 3.
According to the GIE, the filling level of German gas storage facilities was 85.02%.
At the end of August, German Economics Minister Robert Habeck said Germany's gas storage facilities were filling up faster than planned and added that the government's goal of reaching 85% storage capacity by October could be reached by early September.
Der Spiegel referring to data from the energy industry association, BDEW wrote that in August only 9.5% of the gas came from Russia.
The German government has set a target gas storage capacity level of 75% by September. However, already on August 28, the figure was at the level of 82.2%.
“Companies will be able to take gas from storage facilities as planned during the winter to also supply industry and households,” Khabek pointed out.
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“Letter of identified malfunctions of the Trent 60 unit (No. 24) and the need to eliminate them was sent to the President and CEO of Siemens Energy AG, Christian Bruch,” noted in the company.
According to the report, during the maintenance of the turbine, an oil leak was detected. Rostekhnadzor warned that the faults found “do not allow for safe, trouble-free operation of the gas turbine engine.” and the work must be suspended.
According to the schedule, the gas pipeline was supposed to return to gas pumping on September 3.
Decrease in gas pumping through Nord Stream began in mid-June: first, the pumping fell from 167 million to 100 million cubic meters. m of gas per day, then— up to 35 million cubic meters m.
«Gazprom» attributed this to problems with gas turbines maintained by Siemens. Due to sanctions against Russia, difficulties arose with the return of the gas turbine unit from Canada, where it was sent for repairs. Ottawa agreed to hand over the turbine to Berlin to return it to Moscow. Now the unit is located in Germany, “Gazprom” insists that in order to return the turbine, he needs official explanations from the EU and Britain about the absence of sanctions risks.
Siemens believes that the Russian side has reduced pumping through Nord Stream; for political reasons. Moscow rejects this.
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According to CDU leader Friedrich Merz, if the government continues to abandon nuclear energy “for ideological reasons”, then Germany will face massive power outages in the winter media/img/0/90/756622826610900.jpg 673w” media=”(max-width: 320px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2), (max-width: 320px) and (min- resolution: 192dpi)” >
Germany may face massive power outages this winter. This was stated in an interview with Bild by the leader of the party “Christian Democratic Union of Germany” (CDU) Friedrich Merz.
“If the government continues like this, sticking to ideological abandonment of nuclear power, we face a blackout early next year,” he said and called for the purchase of new fuel elements to continue the operation of nuclear power plants in Germany.
The German authorities began shutting down nuclear power plants in 2011 after the Fukushima accident. This year, due to the reduction in Russian gas supplies, some German politicians proposed extending the operation of three nuclear power plants until 2024. However, according to German Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection Robert Habeck, even if the nuclear power plants are extended, gas consumption in the country will decrease by only 2%.
Against the backdrop of climate change and anti-Russian sanctions, EU countries, including Germany, faced record inflation and energy shortages. Some countries have introduced a special regime in the energy sector to save fuel in cold weather. In Germany, in particular, this autumn and winter, all public buildings will be heated to 19 degrees instead of 22.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attributed the current crisis to a reduction in gas supplies from Moscow. According to the GIE, the occupancy rate of German gas storage facilities as of September 4 is 85.02%.
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Siemens believes that the Russian side has reduced the flow through Nord Stream; for political reasons. Moscow rejects this.
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Historical and financial disputes play out between NATO and EU allies
Poland wants to receive reparations from Germany in the amount of 1.3 trillion euros for the damage caused during World War II. As the 83rd anniversary of the start of the largest armed conflict in history, Jarosław Kaczynski announced a huge lawsuit against Berlin after the release of the casualty report. For its part, Germany insists that the case is closed and that compensation has already been paid.
Photo: Global Look Press
Warsaw has re-engaged in its favorite national game, masochistically portraying itself as an innocent victim of neighboring countries and greedily demanding financial compensation (which the Poles are unlikely to ever get). This time, Poland's claims are addressed to their “elder brother” in the EU and NATO – Germany.
The Polish government will demand €1.3 trillion in compensation from Germany for the Nazi invasion and occupation during World War II, a senior politician in the country has said. According to the Daily Mail, the leader of the right-wing nationalist Law and Justice party, Yaroslav Kaczynski, announced a claim against Berlin amid the release of a long-awaited report on the damage to the country during the Nazi occupation.
“We have not only prepared a report, but also decided on the next steps,” said Jarosław Kaczynski during the presentation of the report.
“We will turn to Germany to start negotiations on reparations,” the Nationalist party leader promised, adding that it would be “a long and difficult road” but “one day it will bring success.”
PiS leader insisted that the move would serve “real Polish-German reconciliation” based on “truth”. Kaczynski said the German economy could pay the bill.
The right-wing nationalist government of Poland claims that the country, which became the first victim of World War II, did not receive full compensation from neighboring Germany, which is now one of its main partners in the European Union and a NATO ally.
But Germany claims that compensation was paid to the countries of the Eastern Bloc in the years after the war, while the territories that Poland lost in the east as a result of the redrawing of borders were compensated by some pre-war German states. Berlin calls the case closed.
“Germany never accounted for its crimes against Poland,” Kaczynski said, saying that many Germans who committed war crimes lived in Germany with impunity after the war.
Polish senior leadership, including Kaczynski, who is considered Poland's top politician, and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki attended the presentation of the report at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, rebuilt from wartime ruins.
The publication of the report was in the spotlight on the anniversary of the outbreak of World War II, which began on September 1, 1939 with the bombing of Nazi Germany and the invasion of Poland, followed by more than five years of occupation.
Head of the report drafting team, deputy Arkadiusz Mularczyk, stated that it is impossible to estimate from a financial point of view the loss of about 5.2 million lives due to the German occupation. He listed the losses for infrastructure, industry, agriculture, culture, deportation to Germany for forced labor and attempts to turn Polish children into Germans.
A team of more than 30 economists, historians and other experts have been working on the report since 2017. The issue has sparked bilateral tensions.
Poland's new estimate of damage from the German invasion and occupation exceeds the $850 billion estimate made by a ruling party MP in 2019. The ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS) has repeatedly called for compensation since coming to power in 2015, but Warsaw has not yet officially demanded compensation.
“The amount that was presented was accepted in the most limited, conservative way, it could have been increased,” PiS party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said at a press conference.
The belligerent stance towards Germany, which PiS often uses to mobilize its supporters, has strained relations with Berlin amid criticism from Warsaw of the German state's dependence on Russian gas and its slowness in helping Kyiv, Reuters notes.
World War II was “one of the most terrible tragedies in our history,” Polish President Andrzej Duda said during morning activities on the Westerplatte peninsula near Gdansk, one of the first places to be attacked during the Nazi invasion.
“Not only because it took away our freedom, not only because it took away our state from us, but also because this war meant millions of victims among the citizens of Poland and irreparable losses for our homeland and our people,” Duda said. .
In Germany, Dietmar Nitan, government official for German-Polish cooperation, said in a statement that September 1 “remains a day of guilt and shame for Germany, which reminds us again and again that we must not forget about the crimes committed by Germany”, which is “the darkest chapter in our history” and still affects bilateral relations.
The reconciliation offered by the people in Poland is “the basis on which we can look forward together to a future in a united Europe,” Nitan said.
The Polish government rejects a 1953 declaration made by the then communist leaders of the country, according to which they agreed to make no further claims against Germany.
Donald Tusk, leader of Poland's largest opposition party, the Civic Platform, said that Kaczynski's demands “are not about reparations.” “This is about a domestic political campaign to regain support for the ruling party,” he said.
Law and Justice (PiS) still leads most opinion polls, but its advantage over Civic Platform has declined in recent months amid criticism over how the ruling party is handling rising inflation and the economic downturn.
Opposition MP Grzegorz Schetyna says the report is just a “play in domestic politics” and insists on the need for Poland to build good relations with Berlin.
Bloomberg: Germany and France proposed measures to the EU “to combat propaganda inside Russia” Berlin and Paris invited the European Union to think about “creative ways” that would allow “fighting propaganda inside Russia”, bypassing Internet censorship and obtaining independent information, Bloomberg found out source srcset=”https://s0.rbk.ru/v6_top_pics/resized/673xH/media/img/6/83/756618271803836.jpg 673w” media=”(max-width: 320px) and (-webkit-min- device-pixel-ratio: 2), (max-width: 320px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)” >
Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz
Germany and France proposed to take measures “to combat propaganda inside Russia” in order to “drive a wedge” between representatives of the Russian authorities and citizens of the country, reports Bloomberg. According to the agency, Berlin and Paris sent the states— Members of the EU, Defending the International Order in an Era of Systemic Competition: EU-Russia Relations prepared by technical experts.
According to the agency, in a non-paper document, Berlin and Paris call on the EU to explore “creative ways” to allow the dissemination of independent information within Russia. The plan includes the use of “technical measures against Russian censorship” on the Internet, as well as providing Russian-language content for Russian-speakers who live abroad.
Another proposal involves funding media literacy courses in Russian that could be distributed by video bloggers on YouTube, in Facebook (Meta, the company that owns the social network, has been declared extremist and banned in Russia), TikTok, Telegram and VKontakte, Bloomberg reports, citing the document.
Germany and France are also urging the EU to maintain channels of communication with the Russian authorities, despite the imposition of sanctions, in order to minimize the risk of unintended escalation and maintain “minimal cooperation” on issues such as the nuclear deal with Iran.
According to Bloomberg, the document was circulated among countries— members of the EU in the run-up to the meeting of foreign ministers in Prague on August 30-31, which will discuss the issue of a ban on issuing visas to Russian tourists.
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In March, shortly after the start of the military operation in Ukraine, Russia passed a law that criminalizes fakes about the actions of Russian troops. Roskomnadzor demanded that the media that cover what is happening rely only on data from official Russian sources. Since the beginning of hostilities, the department has blocked hundreds of Russian and foreign publications in Russia. Social networks were also blocked— Facebook, Instagram (also owned by Meta, which was recognized by the Russian court as extremist and banned in the country) and Twitter.
At the same time, Russian authorities have repeatedly filed claims against YouTube for blocking various channels, including state media, and demanded to restore access to them. At the end of February, YouTube banned the monetization of some Russian publications, and then began blocking the pages of Russian TV channels.
In the spring, The Telegraph reported that the British Government Information Cell (GIC) was buying advertising on Russian social networks, including “Vkontakte”, to combat “Russian disinformation” about the fighting in Ukraine. VK said that the information is not true, and all advertising on the social network platform is moderated and must comply with the law.
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Countries believe that entry permits should be given to people “not affiliated with the state”, including students and scientists
France and Germany intend to advocate continuing to issue EU visas to Russians, they will announce this during an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Prague next week, writes Bloomberg, citing document prepared by the countries for the meeting.
In it, Paris and Berlin express their confidence that the EU should continue issuing visas to Russians “not affiliated with the government”, in particular students, artists, scientists and professionals.
“Understanding the concerns of some countries members of the [EU] in this respect, we must not underestimate the transformative power of the experience of living in democratic states, especially in relation to future generations,— says the document.
During the meeting in Prague, it is also planned to discuss a compromise option on visas for Russian citizens, which was previously proposed by the Czech Republic: to suspend the simplified visa regime with Russia and Belarus. This means that citizens of these countries will have to collect more documents for applying for a visa, it will take longer to process them, and the visa fee will increase from €35 to €80.
This option should become an alternative to the complete cessation of the issuance of European visas to Russians, which was previously proposed by the Czech Republic. However, so far there is no unity in the European Union on this issue. Such drastic measures were opposed by several members of the union, including Germany and Austria. Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged to remember the Russians who do not agree with the policy of Moscow and leave the country because of this. In the event of a ban on entry into the European Union, they may be in a vulnerable position, he stressed.
At the same time, Brussels explained that it was impossible to make a decision at the level of the entire association, since the EU Visa Code does not contain the possibility of stopping the issuance of short-stay visas. “There are always categories of citizens for whom visas must be issued, for example in humanitarian cases, for family members, journalists or dissidents,” — clarified the representative of the European Commission Anita Hipper.
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Germany will provide financial and military assistance to Ukraine as much as needed, Foreign Minister Annalena Burbock assured in an interview with Bild am Sonntag.
“We are delivering heavy weapons. And I understand that the Ukrainians want more supplies and faster. But we do not have a large number of functioning, ultra-modern systems, which are primarily needed at the moment,»,— Burbock said, noting that the military industry now produces directly for Kyiv.
Berlin, she said, assumes that new heavy weapons are “from friends”; Ukraine may need next summer. “Ukraine defends our freedom too, our world order, and we will support it materially and militarily as long as it is necessary”, — promised the head of the German Foreign Ministry.
The material is being supplemented
“https://s0.rbk.ru/v6_top_pics/media/img/0/01/756358467784010.jpg” alt=”Germany promised to help Ukraine as much as needed” />
German Foreign Minister Burbock: stocks of weapons are in short supply, deliveries to Ukraine are “on a thin line” The German army has an “absolute” shortage of weapons, the German industry has allocated special facilities for the production of weapons for Kyiv, Burbock said. She pointed out that it is necessary to ensure the supply of weapons in the autumn period -width: 320px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2), (max-width: 320px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)” >
Annalena Burbock
Arms deliveries from Germany to Ukraine go “on a fine line” due to the shortage of weapons in the stocks of the Bundeswehr, however, it is necessary to ensure the transfer of weapons in the near future, said German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock in an interview with ZDF.
“Unfortunately, the situation in this matter is such that we absolute shortage of own reserves,»,— said the minister.
She acknowledged that from Ukraine's point of view, the supplies should have been sent “yesterday, not today”, but the German authorities have an obligation to think long-term. Under these conditions, the German industry was forced to specifically produce weapons for Ukraine, the head of the Foreign Ministry noted. Burbock is sure that in autumn Ukraine needs to supply additional weapons and be prepared that the armed conflict will not end this year.
In Germany's relations with the Baltic countries, “a lot of porcelain was broken”; (a German idiom meaning significant damage.— RBC), Burbock continued. According to the minister, this situation arose due to the fact that Berlin did not listen to the concerns of states in Eastern Europe regarding the construction of Nord Stream 2.
Germany has long refused to supply lethal weapons to Ukraine, but Berlin has changed policy in connection with Russia's actions, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said. “[Vladimir] Putin leaves us no other choice,” — said the head of the government of Germany. At the same time, Germany could not fulfill all the wishes of the Ukrainian authorities regarding the supply of weapons, Vice Chancellor Robert Habek admitted.
The stocks of the German army were exhausted by mid-April, in connection with which the German authorities turned to arms manufacturers with a request for a level of readiness for the production of weapons specifically for Ukraine. As a result, by August, Germany was sending such rare and unique weapons to Ukraine, which had not even entered the balance of the German army. These weapons required special training for operation, Scholz assured that Berlin was conducting training for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
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Among the German weapons delivered to Ukraine— three multiple launch rocket systems Mars II— This is the German version of the American MLRS M270 MLRS. Its shipment was approved by the German authorities in June, and by the beginning of August the Ukrainian military received these weapons.
The Russian authorities criticize the supply of weapons by Western countries to Kyiv. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov considered that these actions “prolong the agony” Ukrainian authorities and prolongs the conflict. The minister also saw signs of a “proxy war” in the supplies; NATO against Russia, warning: “in war as in war.”
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Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov expressed the view that Germany should allow other countries to send Leopard tanks to Kyiv.
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Reznikov also asked to approve the supply of Mars II multiple launch rocket systems to Kyiv.
At the same time, in an interview with the German ARD TV channel, Reznikov thanked Germany for the Gepard anti-aircraft self-propelled guns and the IRIS-T air defense system.
p>
Earlier, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced another supply of arms to Ukraine for a total of 500 million euros. Scholz said that the package of military assistance to Ukraine, agreed by Canada and Germany, includes air defense systems, missiles and “tons of ammunition”.
Scholz arrived in Canada to find an alternative to gas from Russia. He, among other things, planned to discuss with Trudeau the supply of LNG and other minerals. The parties agreed to create an alliance for the export of hydrogen fuel to Germany by 2025 (max-width: 320px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2), (max-width: 320px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)” >
Canada and Germany signed a declaration of intent to create an alliance for the export of hydrogen fuel to Germany by 2025. The document was signed in Canada in the presence of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, broadcast by Global News.
At the signing ceremony, Trudeau reminded that Western countries should abandon fossil energy sources, including Russian ones, in favor of alternative fuels. “We [Canada] can become the reliable provider of the clean energy the world needs,” — said the Canadian prime minister.
Scholz, in turn, noted that hydrogen fuel will play a leading role in the supply of energy carriers in the future, especially in sectors such as freight, aviation and transport.
According to the Associated Press, the Canadian side plans to build a zero-emission plant that will use wind energy to produce hydrogen and ammonia for export.
Scholz arrived in Canada on a three-day visit to against the backdrop of Berlin's efforts to find alternatives to Russian gas supplies. “The country [Canada] is as rich in natural resources as Russia, with the only difference being that it is a reliable democracy,” declared the Chancellor upon his arrival in Montreal.
According to the DPA, the parties planned to sign an agreement on cooperation in the field of hydrogen energy, as well as discuss with Trudeau the supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and the extraction of minerals such as nickel, cobalt, lithium and graphite, which are necessary for the production of batteries.
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In mid-August, Gazprom For the second time this summer, he announced the suspension of the Nord Stream gas pipeline; for prevention purposes. The only working Trent 60 engine will be shut down for three days, from 31 August to 2 September. Gas will not be supplied during this time. The last time the pumping through the Nord Stream was suspended from 11 to 21 July.
Gazprom due to the lack of a turbine, by the end of July, he reduced supplies via Nord Stream; up to 20% of capacity (up to 33 million cubic meters). The engine was stuck after repairs, first in Canada due to the sanctions of this country, and now in Germany, where Ottawa sent it.
Before the start of the conflict in Ukraine, Russian gas accounted for about 55% of all German imports. As of July 20, the share of Russian gas supplies has dropped to 26%, according to a report by the German Ministry of Economy and Climate Protection.
The German authorities have repeatedly expressed fears that Russia could cut off gas, and called for savings. The Kremlin responded by saying that Moscow was “very, very carefully” refers to “the reputation of a responsible supplier.” The Russian side associates the situation with pumping with sanctions.
Scholz's foreign policy adviser Jens Plötner previously warned of a possible recession that could occur in the event of a sharp refusal by Germany to supply gas, oil and coal from Russia. “For the largest economy in Europe, making such a decision with far-reaching consequences represents an irresponsible policy,” — Pletner emphasized then.
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Biden, Johnson, Scholz and Macron call for security at Zaporizhzhya NPP Western leaders expressed strong support for Ukraine and advocated an early visit of the IAEA mission to the Zaporozhye NPP, their joint statement said
Photo from the Nord Stream website.
Readers of the German edition of Spiegel reacted violently to an article that reported that Russia would suspend gas supplies via Nord Stream 1 from August 31 to September 2 due to ongoing preventive maintenance.
The material notes that in the absence of technical errors in the operation of the only turbine at the Portovaya compressor station, gas supplies will resume in the amount of 33 million cubic meters per day. At the same time, the newspaper notes, this corresponds to only 20% of the actual throughput of the pipeline. In this regard, measures are being taken in Germany to save gas in order to prevent gas shortages in winter.
After that, one of the readers of the newspaper wrote that if there is less gas or no gas at all, then there will be a “commotion”. He asked if, in this case, Germany's refusal to use Nord Stream 2 is justified?
“What did you expect if we impose sanctions against Russia and supply weapons to Ukraine?” – also wondered another user.
Another panellist added that Germany brought this crisis on itself, but no one wants to admit it.
The reader under the name Antiaktion is ironic advised German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to visit the turbine, stroke it and have a gentle talk.
And user Caroline_5728 noted: “I think we live in bad times. We should be afraid both for ourselves and for our children.
German self-propelled howitzer Panzerhaubitze 2000. Photo: Wikipedia.org.
The German federal government has approved the supply of 255 Vulcano high-precision projectiles for self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine.
According to Welt am Sonntag, this is the most accurate projectile to date, which is capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 70-80 km from deviation up to one meter. The shells can be launched from German Panzerhaubitze 2000 howitzers, which were previously transferred by Berlin to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The message says that deliveries will be made directly from the German manufacturer to Ukraine. But the delivery dates are kept secret for security reasons.
Portugal, following Germany, opposed the ban on the issuance of visas to Russians Some EU countries earlier called for a halt to the issuance of Schengen visas to Russians, the discussion of this issue has already begun at the EU level. The initiative was opposed by the authorities of Germany and Portugal
< img class="aligncenter" src="https://s0.rbk.ru/v6_top_pics/media/img/2/04/756609514738042.jpg" alt="Portugal, following Germany, opposed the ban on Russians entering the EU"/>
Portugal opposes the ban on entry into the EU for Russian tourists and believes that sanctions should not be directed against the Russian people. This was reported in a commentary to the Eco newspaper by the press service of the Portuguese Foreign Ministry.
“Portugal believes that the main purpose of the sanctions regime should be to punish the Russian war machine, not the Russian people. Portugal will participate in the discussion of this issue at the European level, contributing to the development of a common position of the EU member states,— The report said.
After the start of the special operation in Ukraine, several EU countries immediately called for the cessation of issuing Schengen visas to Russian citizens. Among them: Belgium, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Czech Republic and Finland. The European Commission considers such a ban impossible, but the discussion of this issue has already begun at the EU level.
At the same time, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned against extending sanctions against Russian “oligarchs” for all citizens of the country. He called such restrictions unjustified. “Many are fleeing Russia because they don't agree with the Russian regime,” — pointed out by the head of Germany.
The Russian Foreign Ministry warned that if the EU or its individual countries ban the issuance of visas to Russians, Moscow will respond to this. In turn, Tatyana Moskalkova, Commissioner for Human Rights in Russia, noted that such a ban by the European Union would grossly violate the fundamental principle of freedom of movement enshrined in universal and regional international legal acts.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia led list of countries whose citizens have applied for a visa to the Schengen countries. In 2019, Russians filed approximately 4 million applications for Schengen visas, or more than 23% of all applications.
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The German government plans to ban the country's stores from keeping their doors open for a long time. This is due to the need to save costs for space heating. Reporting the news, Bild refers to a draft of the relevant document prepared by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
In Germany, it is not uncommon for stores to keep their doors open during business hours. This is despite the fact that inside, as a rule, the heating system or air conditioning is working.
The draft regulation “on ensuring energy supply through short-term measures” states that the air heated by heating can “volatilize uncontrollably”. From September, retail outlets will most likely be banned from keeping their doors open for a regulated period.
A similar decision was made by the Paris City Hall much earlier. In the capital of France, raids are already being carried out and fines are being issued against entrepreneurs who keep the doors open while air conditioners are running inside stores.
Politico: in July, six European countries for the first time since the beginning of the NWO did not make military promises to Ukraine Experts from the Kiel Institute for World Economics from Germany note that a downward trend in the number of promises from Europe has been observed since April The leader in terms of military aid, according to the Institute, is the United States max-width: 320px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2), (max-width: 320px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)” >
< img class="aligncenter" src="https://s0.rbk.ru/v6_top_pics/media/img/3/56/756607844597563.jpg" alt="Analysts from Germany said that for the first time the EU did not make military promises to Kyiv" />
German self-propelled guns PzH 2000— part of military aid to Ukraine
In July, six major European countries for the first time did not make any new bilateral military promises to Ukraine, writes Politico, citing data from the Kiel Institute for World Economics (Germany).
Christophe Trebesh, head of the team that collects data on aid to Kyiv with the beginning of the special operation, noted that the downward trend in Europe's promises has been observed since the end of April.
“Despite the fact that [the special operation] is entering a critical phase, new initiatives to provide assistance have dried up”, — he stated.
On August 12, the Western allies agreed to allocate about «1.5 billion to Ukraine for military purposes, but Trebesh called this amount «minor» compared to previous promises. In his opinion, hundreds of billions should be sent to help Kyiv.
Trebesh indicated that the EU allocated €800 billion to the fund for recovery after the pandemic, and assistance to Ukraine should be comparable to this amount, but in reality Kyiv received “tiny” amount compared to this.
In July-August, several states made statements about the supply of weapons to Kyiv. In addition to the promise of 26 European countries, given on August 12, in July the European Union agreed on a tranche in the amount of €500 million. The United States also announced further military assistance to Ukraine. We are talking about at least four packages worth from $400 million to $1 billion (the amounts in euros are approximately equivalent).
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According to the Kiel Institute, Washington is the leader in the supply of weapons to Ukraine, from January 24 to August 3 of this year, the amount of tranches of military assistance amounted to €25 billion (it is important that the last tranche of $1 billion was allocated on August 8). Military assistance from EU institutions in the same period amounted to ten times less, namely €2.5 billion.
Among the EU member states, Poland provided the most support (€1 .8 billion), followed by Germany (€1.2 billion). Assistance from other countries is less than one billion. Among other states, the United Kingdom (€4 billion) and Canada (about €1 billion) provided significant support.
In July, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that as the West pumps more and more long-range weapons into Ukraine, the geographic objectives of the special operation will move even further from the current line (includes Donbass and southern Ukraine).
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Earlier, the German authorities adopted requirements according to which underground gas storage facilities must be filled up to 75% by September 1, up to 85% by October 1 and up to 95% by November 1< source srcset="https://s0.rbk.ru/v6_top_pics/resized/1010xH/media/img/6/84/756605029929846.webp 1010w" type="image/webp" media="(max-width: 640px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2), (max-width: 640px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)" >
Underground gas storage facilities (UGS) in Germany are 75% full as of mid-August, Klaus Müller, head of the Federal Network Agency (BNA), said on his Twitter.
The German authorities had previously adopted requirements according to which underground gas storage facilities must be completed to 75% by September 1st, to 85% by October 1st, and to 95% by November 1st. “The goal of the first stage has been achieved. <…> Next goal— 85% by October 1,” Müller wrote.
At the same time, in an interview with the Financial Times, Müller said that Germany should cut gas consumption by 20% to avoid energy restrictions in the coming winter.
On August 5, the EU approved a voluntary 15% reduction in fuel consumption this winter. The purpose of this measure— save gas for this winter to prepare for possible disruptions in supplies from Russia, which uses energy “as a weapon,” the EU explained.
Countries— EU members agreed to reduce gas consumption by 15% compared to the averages over the past five years from August 1 to March 31, 2023. In this regard, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck announced on August 12 that in the coming autumn and winter, public buildings in Germany will be heated to a temperature of 19 degrees, instead of the usual 22.
Chapter EC Ursula von der Leyen said at the end of July that Russia “deliberately chopped off” deliveries to 12 EU countries (she did not specify which countries). She blamed the energy crisis on Moscow and urged EU countries to prepare for the worst this winter.
The Kremlin, responding to German fears that Russia would cut off gas, had previously argued that Moscow “is very, very careful about its reputation, the reputation of a responsible supplier.” The Russian side associates the situation with pumping with sanctions.
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DWN: Qatar decided to supply gas to Italy instead of Germany, despite the trip of Minister Habek The Gulf country decided to supply LNG to Italy instead of Germany, despite the trip of Economy Minister Robert Habek to Doha and his statements about an agreement with the Qatari side< source srcset="https://s0.rbk.ru/v6_top_pics/resized/800xH/media/img/7/77/756604683701777.webp 800w" type="image/webp" media="(max-width: 400px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2), (max-width: 400px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)" >< source srcset="https://s0.rbk.ru/v6_top_pics/resized/1200xH/media/img/7/77/756604683701777.webp 1200w" type="image/webp" media="(-webkit-min-device -pixel-ratio: 2), (min-resolution: 192dpi)" >
An attempt by German Economy Minister Robert Habeck to negotiate with Qatar on the supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) failed. The Persian Gulf country supplies gas to Italy instead of Germany, Deutsche Wirtschaftsnachrichten writes.
After a trip to Qatar, Habek said that Germany would receive gas from this country. However, this did not happen.
According to Focus, none of the major German energy companies (EnBW, RWE, Vattenfall, E.On and Lex Uniper) have since entered into a contract with LNG suppliers from Qatar. Some companies agreed only on additional supplies from the United States. For example, EnBW announced a contract with North American supplier Venture Global LNG, according to which the company plans to purchase 1.5 million tons of liquefied gas per year, but only from 2026.
According to German media, the Italian energy company Eni at the same time in mid-June acquired a stake in the Qatari LNG project North Field East worth $28 billion, making it the second largest shareholder after the French company TotalEnergies.
At the end July Habek admitted that the Qataris decided not to make a “good offer”.
The German minister traveled to Qatar and the UAE in mid-March to negotiate LNG supplies. Then he said that the Qataris would supply LNG to Germany.
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However, in early May, Reuters reported disagreements between Germany and Qatar over the length of long-term contracts. According to the agency, the German side did not want to agree to Doha's terms on signing contracts for a period of at least 20 years. In addition, the country imposes conditions that will not allow Berlin to redirect gas to other European countries, Reuters noted.
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According to the German sanctions legislation, the persons on the sanctions lists after the imposition of restrictions are required to immediately disclose asset data to the government. None of the Russians did this
None of the Russians sanctioned by the European Union provided the German government with information about their assets, as required by national legislation on the implementation of sanctions restrictions. This is reported by Reuters with reference to a letter from the State Secretary of the German Ministry of Economy Udo Philipp to the Bundestag deputy Christian Goerke, which the agency managed to get acquainted with.
“None of the Russians sanctioned by the European Union filed asset declarations, which is required by law. In Germany, they call for a tougher transparency regime, — notes Reuters.
According to the current legislation, it is necessary to inform the authorities about the existing assets immediately after being included in the sanctions lists. Penalties for non-compliance with this requirement range from fines to imprisonment for up to one year.
According to the German authorities, after the imposition of sanctions from the end of February 2022, the assets of “Russian oligarchs” were frozen in the country. in the amount of €4.48 billion, including funds in the amount of €2.3 billion in bank accounts.
“The German Central Bank, as well as the Federal Office for Economics and Export Control, do not received declarations»,— The agency quotes an excerpt from Philipp's letter.
The agency also cites the words of Deputy Görcke, who believes that monitoring of compliance with sanctions should be strengthened.
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“The duty to be transparent should also extend to those who do business with the oligarchs, such as notaries, brokers, used car dealers, art dealers, and banks. It is not enough to simply add the names of oligarchs to the sanctions lists. <…> The authorities have lost hope of ever tracking down and freezing their [the oligarchs'] assets,— Reuters quotes MP.
In mid-July, European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders reported that the EU had frozen the assets of Russian billionaires, individuals and legal entities subject to sanctions, in the amount of €13.8 billion. Most of the frozen assets— over €12 billion— accounted for five of the 27 European countries, but Reinders did not specify which ones.
Russian assets were frozen as part of the imposition of several packages of sanctions and the tightening of previously existing restrictions in the spring of 2022. In Russia, these measures are called illegal. According to Alexander Venediktov, deputy secretary of the Russian Security Council, “freezing Russian assets” this is one of the greatest thefts in history.
The Kremlin called the arrests of the assets of Russian businessmen a robbery: presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said earlier that Russian entrepreneurs were “robbed” as if in the Wild West, while they honestly earned their money.
A number of Russian businessmen who fell under European sanctions challenged the imposition of restrictions in the EU court. Among them are Roman Abramovich, Pyotr Aven, Mikhail Fridman, Alexei Mordashov and Alisher Usmanov. As Friedman noted, Western countries, when introducing restrictive measures, do not understand “how power actually works in Russia.” According to him, the distance between the Russian leadership and anyone else is “like the distance between the Earth and space.”
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According to the representative of Taiwan, the current situation represents “the greatest potential for military conflict since 1996”, so the PRC's travel bans for officials of any state should disappear< source srcset="https://s0.rbk.ru/v6_top_pics/resized/590xH/media/img/4/59/756595730593594.webp 590w" type="image/webp" >
Taiwan's representative in Germany, Xie Zhiwei, amid tensions between the authorities of mainland China and Taiwan, invited the delegation of the Bundestag (German parliament) to visit the island. He stated this in an interview with the German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel.
“I propose that a delegation of the Bundestag headed by the speaker of parliament [Berbel Bass] go to Taiwan. This did not come from parliamentary factions, but from the Bundestag as such— as an independent legislative state body that represents the people and is not subordinate to the government, — pointed out the diplomat.
At the same time, he added that the current situation represents “the biggest potential for military conflict since 1996.” According to Xie Zhiwei, China's travel bans on Taiwan to any dignitaries of any foreign countries “should disappear.”
Taiwan declared secession from China during a civil war in 1949 . Beijing does not recognize the independence of the island and considers it its province. The administrative status of the region has not yet been settled.
Tensions between China and Taiwan have risen in recent weeks due to the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the island. On August 2, Pelosi's special flight landed in Taiwan, despite all objections from Beijing. After getting off the plane, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives said that the main goal of the American delegation— support for “bright and dynamic” democracy in Taiwan. On August 3, the politician left the country.
In response to the speaker's visit, China announced the start of large-scale military exercises in the waters of Taiwan with “long-range combat firing.” The Chinese Foreign Ministry strongly protested and said that Pelosi's trip “greatly affected the political foundation of China-US relations, violated China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and seriously undermined the stability in the Taiwan Strait.”
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German Foreign Minister Annalena Burbock, a few hours before Pelosi's plane landed in Taipei, said that Germany was ready to support Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack. “We do not accept when international law is violated and a larger neighbor attacks its smaller neighbor in violation of international law. This, of course, also applies to China,— she claimed. Germany does not officially recognize the independence of the island.
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The worst drought in Europe will cause the level of Europe's largest river to drop to 47 cm by the weekend, which is only 7 cm above the level possible for the continuation of navigation< source srcset="https://s0.rbk.ru/v6_top_pics/resized/1200xH/media/img/4/92/756595799741924.jpg 1200w" media="(min-resolution: 192dpi)" >
The water level in the Rhine River is at a record low and is approaching a point where navigation will not be possible. This is reported by Bloomberg, citing a statement by the German authorities, as well as transport and energy companies.
According to the agency, the level of the Rhine may fall to 47cm by this weekend. The representative of the Federal Institute of Hydrology of Germany said that the level was record low for many decades, and if the river level drops to 40 cm, navigation on it will become impossible.
“Coal shipments are already limited due to low water levels because fewer ships are available and those that can still be used are carrying less cargo,” reported Bloomberg in the German energy company EnBW AG. They also pointed out that in connection with this, the price of transporting coal and, as a result, prices for the final consumer is growing.
Rhine— the largest river in Europe with a total length of more than 1.2 thousand km. It flows through Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, France and the Netherlands.
“With transport on the Rhine disrupted and alternatives such as rail and road looking increasingly expensive, it will be difficult for Germany and Switzerland to stockpile diesel fuel before temperatures drop,” Facts Global Energy analyst Josh Folds told the agency.
On July 18, the Joint Research Center of the European Commission (EC) reported that in the coming month, almost half of the EU is threatened by a severe drought. “Analysis of the spread of prolonged drought in the EU shows that 46% of the EU area is of serious concern in connection with the threat of drought. 11% of the EU is already experiencing problems due to lack of water,— experts indicated.
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Earlier, France and the Netherlands announced the introduction of a special regime due to drought. In particular, the Minister of Infrastructure and Water Resources of the Netherlands, Mark Harbers, said that “drought has led to the fact that national needs exceed the volume of water entering the country through rivers and as a result of rains.”
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Prime Minister of Saxony: Germany in the coming years will not be able to abandon Russian gas The German authorities must take into account that the country in the next five years will need gas supplies from Russia, said the Prime Minister of Saxony. Before the start of the military operation, he repeatedly called for the lifting of sanctions against Moscow< source srcset="https://s0.rbk.ru/v6_top_pics/resized/590xH/media/img/8/44/756592341694448.webp 590w" type="image/webp" >
Michael Kretschmer
Germany will need gas supplies from Russia in the coming years, Prime Minister of Saxony Michael Kretschmer told Die Zeit.
“We cannot do without Russian gas in the next five years,” — he thinks. According to Kretschmer, if the German authorities understand that the country still needs supplies, “this is a bitter reality and we must take this into account.”
Kretschmer said he was concerned about the impact of sanctions against Russia, imposed due to the military operation in Ukraine, on the German economy. The politician called for “pragmatism” in relations with Moscow and to the “freeze” armed conflict, stating that “a ceasefire will end the deaths and create an opportunity for the supply of raw materials.”
According to the Prime Minister of Saxony, the idea of u200bu200bfinally isolating Russia or never cooperating with it economically plan, “absurd and dangerous.” “A Russia oriented towards China and having no ties with Europe is much more dangerous for us,” — he declared.
Kretschmer in previous years has repeatedly spoken out in favor of lifting sanctions against Russia. In 2020, he said that the restrictions were negatively affecting the German economy and leading to “alienation between people.” In April 2021, he visited Russia and spoke by phone with President Vladimir Putin, who “informed him about Russian approaches to resolving the intra-Ukrainian crisis.” The German Foreign Ministry warned Kretschmer not to “let himself be exploited by the Russian government” during the trip.
In June of this year, Kretschmer said that before restricting Russian gas imports, Germany needs to ensure reliable fuel supplies.
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German Vice-Chancellor Robert Habek, earlier Habek, approved the agreement of the EU countries to reduce gas consumption by 15% by the end of March next year, calling it « a strong signal to all those who mock the EU and those who despise it».
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CNN: Russia asked the United States for the exchange of life-sentenced in Germany Vadim Krasikov According to the channel, in the United States, the satisfaction of such a request was considered problematic, since Vadim Krasikov is serving a life sentence in Germany. Nevertheless, Washington clarified with Berlin whether they are considering such a possibility
The Russian side asked to include in the prisoner exchange with the United States former FSB officer Vadim Krasikov, who was sentenced in Berlin to life imprisonment for the murder of Georgian citizen Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, CNN reports citing sources.
According to them, the request was transmitted through unofficial channels of the FSB. Sources noted that for this reason and because Krasikov is serving a sentence in Germany, the United States considers it difficult to fulfill the request.
An interlocutor of the TV channel in the German government said that American officials nevertheless sent a request to Berlin to find out if Germany was ready to consider such a possibility. A United States administration official described the request as a “status check”; Krasikov. A source in Berlin said that the German authorities did not seriously consider the exchange of the Russian, and this discussion did not reach high-ranking officials.
According to several sources CNN, even if the extradition of Krasikov fails, Russia will most likely ask for two prisoners in exchange for the Americans Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner.
Khangoshvili was killed in Berlin in the summer of 2019. According to investigators, Krasikov rode up to him on a bicycle and shot him three times with a pistol. A Georgian citizen died on the spot, and a Russian was detained.
Krasikov was sentenced in Germany in December last year. The court agreed with the prosecutor's office, according to which it was not just about the murder of a Georgian citizen, but about the fulfillment of the “state order to kill on German soil.” Moscow has repeatedly denied involvement in Khangoshvili's murder. President Vladimir Putin called him a “separatist” who took part in the hostilities and one of the organizers of the terrorist attack in the Moscow metro.
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Inhabitants of the eastern and western lands of Germany have different attitudes towards supplying Kyiv with weapons
Germany is providing additional support to the Ukrainian forces by supplying tanks. This move comes amid reports of permission to sell howitzers for the Kyiv army.
Photo: en.wikipedia.org
The German Ministry of Defense has decided to send 16 Biber bridge-laying tanks to Ukrainian forces, the ministry said on Friday.
“Biber will allow Ukrainian troops to cross water barriers or obstacles in battle,” the German defense ministry said in a statement. – Delivery of the first six systems will take place this year, starting in autumn. Ten more systems will appear next year.”
As The Guardian explains, Biber tanks are armored support vehicles equipped with a bridging system that can be used to help troops cross streams, ditches or other obstacles on the battlefield.
The announcement of the tanks being sent to Ukraine was taken a few days after it became known that Germany had given the green light to the request of the defense company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann to produce 100 Panzerhaubitze 2000 howitzers for the Ukrainian army.
While the Economics Ministry's legal move does not yet constitute a sale of howitzers, it was nonetheless seen as a significant increase in Germany's long-term support for Ukraine's war effort.
Following initial reports in Der Spiegel, Krauss-Maffei Wegmann confirmed that Kyiv ordered 100 howitzers from the company for a total of 1.7 billion euros, and that the German Ministry of Economics gave the necessary permission on July 13.
Germany has already sent nine Panzerhaubitze 2000 artillery systems to Ukraine from the warehouses of its own army, which have been put into operation in the conflict zone since the end of June.
In May, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht allowed the delivery of 15 Gepard anti-aircraft tanks with about 60 thousand rounds of ammunition. A Social Democrat politician said this week that five of these tanks have already arrived in Ukraine.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a historic departure from Germany's pacifist stance on military spending in a February 27 speech, but faced criticism for not backing up the rhetoric with technology.
While public support for sending arms to Ukraine in Germany remains stable despite growing concerns about the gas crisis, opinions in the west of the country and in the eastern states differ significantly.
While 54-61% of respondents in a regular Forsa poll favored military support Kyiv since early May, only 32% of respondents in the east said in a poll this week that giving Ukraine heavy weapons was the right thing to do.
At a public dialogue in the southern city of Bayreuth Thursday night, Economics Minister Robert Habeck was booed by a group protesters holding placards with the word Kriegstreiber (“warmonger”). The “green” politician, who spoke out in support of sending weapons to Ukraine even before Russia launched a special operation, said that the majority of the German population was “resolute and united” in their position and that Russian “imperialism” would not stop in Ukraine.
It could take a whole generation before Poland wins reparations from Germany, Kaczynski said. In Germany, the issue of reparations is considered settled “(max-width: 320px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)” >< source srcset="https://s0.rbk.ru/v6_top_pics/resized/800xH/media/img/7/36/756590928047367.webp 800w" type="image/webp" media="(max-width: 400px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)" >< source srcset="https://s0.rbk.ru/v6_top_pics/resized/590xH/media/img/7/36/756590928047367.webp 590w" type="image/webp" >
Yaroslav Kaczynski
Head of Poland's ruling party “Law and Justice”; (PiS) Jarosław Kaczynski said he might not live to see war reparations from Germany. He said this in an interview with PAP.
Kaczynski recalled that on September 1, Poland will present a report on the losses during the Second World War and name the amount of reparations that it requires from Germany. According to him, after the publication of the report, further steps will be taken— “in the right order and in accordance with a certain plan.”
“It will be a big operation. I hope that over time it will bring results, although I understand that this is a long time, perhaps even a whole generation will pass. I may not live to see it, but someday I have to start, — said the head of Law and Justice.
According to him, Poland must not give up its demands. “There is no reason why we should constantly consider ourselves as those who can be treated worse than others,” — Kaczynski said.
In recent months, he has repeatedly raised the issue of reparations from Germany. Natemat noted that politicians from Law and Justice they began to talk more often about reparations against the backdrop of the upcoming parliamentary elections in Poland, which will be held in autumn 2023.
In 2017, a special commission of the Polish Sejm on reparations estimated the damage caused to the country during the Second World War by Germany at $48, 8 billion. Then the amount was adjusted more than once, including adjusted for the changing dollar exchange rate, and it reached $850 billion. In 2018, Poland decided that the volume of expected reparations should be recalculated.
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Germany admits responsibility for destruction in Poland, but says reparations are closed. So, during his first visit to Poland in December 2021, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called this issue legally settled. At the same time, he added that Berlin “wishes and is ready to continue to make very, very large contributions to the joint budget of the European Union,” Focus reports.
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“America does not rule”
Despite the fact that in early June the US and the EU discussed a possible truce within the conflict without Ukraine, Washington representatives later stated that they did not intend to negotiate with Moscow to resolve the conflict without the participation of Kyiv. Political scientist from Germany Vladimir Sergienko is convinced that this indicates the end of the world leadership of the United States.
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In an interview with Sputnik radio, the expert agreed that Kyiv's allies could not agree on the current situation without Ukraine. According to Sergienko, Russia, in turn, is able to negotiate with anyone, both without Ukraine and without the United States. For example, as the expert noted, if the Russian Federation wants to, it will negotiate with Ukraine without America, and maybe even negotiate with the United States without Ukraine.
The political scientist gave an example that Russia had just reached agreements on food exports, in the discussion which were attended by Turkey, Ukraine, Russia and the UN. Sergienko wondered where the United States is and where the European Union is, stating that “there are none at all.”
The specialist admits that sometimes it seems to him that the United States understands that their world leadership has ended, their “ replaced” and now it has become possible to resolve issues without them. Thus, according to Sergienko, when the Americans say that they will not resolve the issue without Ukraine, there is a feeling that someone suggested that they do so. The political scientist emphasized that no one made such proposals to the United States, and they declare this for third countries that are used to the fact that “America rules”, although in fact it no longer “steers”.
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